The following contribution is from another author.
It’s absolutely horrible having plumbing problems, right? But it’s something that every homeowner eventually gets (be it whether it’s obvious or not what or where the plumbing problems are). But one of the worst, and honestly scariest, of plumbing issues has absolutely got to be leaks.
Well, honestly, here, a leak has a very specific talent; it makes a normal day instantly feel like a mess. One second everything’s fine, and the next second there’s water where it absolutely shouldn’t be, the floor feels like a sponge, and the brain’s already racing ahead to worst-case scenarios. And yeah, it’s easy to freeze for a minute because it’s not exactly a situation that comes with instructions. Well, that, but you can’t help but wonder how long this leak been going on?
While it’s hard to know or answer right now how long this leak has been happening, you do need to take these first 30 minutes seriously because in 30 minutes, a lot of damage can happen.
Stop the Water at the Source First
Okay, before anything else, you should ideally just go ahead and stop the water. If it’s a sink, toilet, or appliance, the shutoff valve is usually close by. If the source isn’t obvious or the water’s coming from a wall or ceiling, the main water shutoff is the move. Every single homeowner absolutely needs to know where all of this is. Also, it might be smart to turn off the electricity in case any water hits outlets or cords, or well, anything electrical for that matter.
Contain the Spread
So, once the water’s stopped, the next goal is controlling where it goes. Which, of course it pretty obvious here. Most people use buckets; they’ll try to soak up what they can with towels, and will hopefully be able to mop up the rest. So, depending on how nasty the situation is, you might need to roll up towels at doorways to contain it so it doesn’t travel to other rooms. Are there rugs in that room? Move them now; the same goes for furniture, because you don’t want water pooling.
You have to Document Everything
Yes, clean up the water, but afterwards, you need to document what you can. So, you don’t need the water in action leaking, but you need to take pictures of where the water was coming out from. Do the same for visible damage, where there is any; actually, it helps to make videos too. Just try to get close-ups of wet spots, stains, warped flooring, and anything that looks affected. Plus, keep notes on when it started and what was done to stop it.
You need to do this now because once adrenaline wears off, you’ll forget (well, the memory gets fuzzy), and this is for contractors, plumbers, and the insurance company.
Dry What You Can
Bluntly put, if the leak was happening for a while, you will almost definitely need to look into water damage restoration services; there’s just no way around that. Plus, there’s a very high chance that you’ll have mold too, or soon enough will if none of this is taken care of. Even if everything is drying now, there’s still layers and layers where there might still be damage, like the wall or floor,s for example.
Know When it’s Time to Stop DIYing
Well, a small spill is one thing, and of course, a serious leak is another. If there’s sagging drywall, water coming through ceilings, a soaked floor that feels spongy, or a musty smell starting early, it’s time to get help. Actually, the same goes if the leak source isn’t clear, because guessing can waste time while the damage grows.
